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a claim to so vast a period of antiquity, as the tables compiled by Manethon and other writers seem at first sight to evince. It was long ago conjectured by Sir John Marsham, that several of the 30 dynasties were coeval, and not as it had been presumed, successive; this writer and his numerous followers have supposed that Egypt was divided into a number of petty states. Such an hypothesis, as the author of the present work contends, is contradictory to the general voice of history, sacred and profane, which ever represents Egypt as one kingdom, and speaks of the Pharaohs as monarchs of the whole realm; of which Thebes, at the era of the Trojan war, and subsequently Memphis, was the capital. Marsham has succeeded in bringing down the age of Menes, the founder of this monarchy, within the limits of the real age of the world, and of genuine history; but he has done it by violent means; he has cut the knot, instead of unloosing it. The author of this work informs us in his preface, that he believes himself to have fallen by chance upon the clue by which this enigma is to be solved. He says, "In repeatedly examin ing the fragments of these chronicles, I thought I perceived some phænomena that explained the principle upon which they were originally constructed, and promised to connect the whole into one system. The more I investigated the matter, the more I became convinced that I was not deceived by fallacious coincidences. Of this, however, my readers will now judge. I shall only premise that, if I am correct, there is in reality no want of harmony between the historical records of the ancient Egyptians, and those contained in the sacred Scriptures.

The author's hypothesis is, that the tables of Memphite and Diopolitan kings were not different and coeval successions, but that they are in many instances different copies of the same identical series of kings, derived from the records of different temples, and with variations arising from the practice of giving several appellations to the same prince, or from the occasional insertion of the names of monarchs or provincial governors in the place of the hereditary sovereigns of all Egypt. The proofs of this position are to be found in the comparison of different tables with each other: we shall conclude by giving the reader a specimen that may enable him to form an idea of the kind of evidence adduced.

The three first dynasties of Memphite kings, which occur in Manethon's tables, happen to be preserved without any lacunæ. The whole period of time ascribed to these 3 dynasties is 691 years. On the author's supposition respecting the formation of these tables, it is probable that this is the Memphite re

cord of the first seven centuries of the Egyptian monarchy. The names and reigns of these kings are accordingly set down in one column, and opposite to them are placed the kings of Diospolis from the laterculus of Eratosthenes, which are professedly taken from the temples of Thebes. Menes, the first king, is set down at the head of the coluinn, and it terminates at the end of an equal portion of time with that occupied by the three Memphite dynasties. Here, the author considers the coincidences that display themselves to be sufficient to demonstrate the truth of his hypothesis.

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The coincidences here sufficiently speak for themselves. Some of the discrepancies are explained by the author, and in one or two instances, synchronisms are established by historical testimony where the tables give no evidence to this effect. In particular, it is proved by a collateral authority, that Tosorthros, or the Esculapius of Memphis, was contemporary with the Thoth of Diopolis, who is, as the name appears to indicate, the Hathoth or Athothes of the tables.

The asterisks are meant to point out the more remarkable coincidences.

NOTICE OF

ITINERARY OF EL HAGE BOUBEKER ANZANI, an African, from Seno-Palel in Senegal to Mekka, published at Fort Louis, Senegal, in 1820; and translated from the Arabic by M. P. ROUZEE.

THIS Itinerary gives a description of a pilgrim's journey across Africa, from the French possessions on the western coast of Africa, to the Arabian gulf, performed in the years 1810, 1811, &c.

Europeans have no authentic intelligence respecting the districts situated between Housa and Darfour. Uncertain notices, collected in different places, have given place to various hypotheses respecting those countries, so that no part of the world is represented on our maps with such varying uncertainty as we perceive in the vague description of these countries.

Where Rennel places a merja' or morass, other geographers place a desert; some again substitute a chain of mountains, whilst others describe a lake or Mediterranean sea: among all this uncertainty, although the Itinerary of Boubeker does not resolve all these doubts, yet his narrative contains, at least, the information that may lead to the most useful explications, as he crossed Africa from west to east, and passed through those countries that lie between Housa and Darfour.

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مرجه

merjah, is an Arabic word signifying a large sheet of water, lake, or morass; it is spelt by the French translators, as well as the word , El Hage, with a D : but there is no D in either of the words, as will appear to any one who can read Arabic: moreover, the pronunciation has not the sound of D: there is no reason, therefore, why this word should be encumbered with a superfluous letter.

Boubeker is a Foulah by birth, and his family resides at Fouta-Toro; his communications with M. P. Rouzée, however, were in Arabic.

On his departure from his native town Fouta-Toro, he immediately proceeded to Ojaba, and from thence to the great town of Tjilogu, the capital of Fouta-Toro. After receiving the benedictions of the Almany, he hastens to pass the frontiers of Fouta, and soon after reached the kingdom of Cagnoga, inhabited by the Sericoulis. He halted several weeks at Jawar, one of the principal towns of the country, then, passing gently through the province of Kasso, after about three months' absence since his departure from Seno-Palel, he reached Jarra, a considerable town, situated north-eastward of Jawar, the capital of the territory of Bagona. Jarra belonged formerly to the king of Karta, but it is now dependant on the Moors, and its population consists principally of merchants of that people. The trade here is considerable, particularly in salt, which is brought hither from the town of Tishet, near which are extensive salt mines.

His journey from Jarra to Sego exceeded a month's travelling. The country is covered with forests. It is peopled, but little cultivated. Sego, the capital of Bambarra, is situated to the east of Jarra, on both the banks of the Joliba. Bambarra is very fertile. The parts cultivated by the Foulahs are in general the most productive.

From Sego our traveller directed his steps towards Timbuctoo; and after travelling 27 days, reached that town. Timbuctoo is situated towards the north-east of Sego, at a short distance from Cailoum, a considerable river, which Boubeker thinks is a branch of the Joliba. Timbuctoo is as extensive and as populous as Sego, but much richer, having more trade. A considerable portion of the inhabitants are Moors; but the Twaricks are equally numerous, and sometimes superior to the Moors, in power and influence.

Boubeker intended to pass through the kingdom of Twart,' situated north-east of Timbuctoo, and proceed to Fezzan, to await the caravan of pilgrims from Barbary, which was about proceeding to Mekka through Egypt; but having no other subsistence on the road but the alms of pious Muselmen, he altered his plan after having contemplated the poverty of the Twariks, and their indisposition to charity. The Twariks are a Bedouween, and a warlike race, professing Islamism. Our traveller resolved, therefore, to return along by the banks of the Joliba,

'The name of the country inhabited by the Twaricks.

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and arrived at Jinée the 10th day after quitting Timbuctoo. These two towns he considers as forming a part of Bambarra, and they are nearly in the same parallel of latitude.

A great trade is carried on at Jinée: the negroes are more numerous there than the Moors; but the latter have the jurisdiction and authority. From Jinée our pilgrim arrived in thirty days at Housa, which is a large town, situated two days' march from the Joliba. This journey was partly performed in a canoe on the river, and partly a-foot, passing through the countries of Kabi and Noufi.

The country known by the name of Housa comprehends five or six states. The Housians were formerly the only inhabitants, but at present the Foulahs and the Twariks possess, with the Moors, the greater part. The Foulahs occupy almost exclusively the western quarter, which is therefore called the Foulan. These Foulahs resemble in their color, physiognomy, and language, the inhabitants of Fouta-Toro. Among themselves they take the name of Dhomani. The Housians are black like the Joliffs, or the Seracoulis: they appear to understand but little of agriculture, or the rearing of sheep; whilst, according to Boubeker, the Foulahs are the best shepherds and the best laborers in the world. The Foulah country is the best cultivated of any he ever saw; and he therefore places it next to Egypt for richness and produce. The domestic animals are in greater abundance, and in better condition, thau any where else. There are neither sugar canes, nor such a variety of fruits as in Egypt and in Syria. But wheat, barley, and two kinds of Indian corn, are produced in abundance: hemp and cotton also, with which they manufacture cloths, which they die with the indigo of their country. They understand the art of dying in blue and in all other colors, The town of Housa has less commerce with Timbuctoo and Jinnie, than with the countries situated to the eastward. The sultan who resides at the town of Housa, is the most powerful of all the negro sovereigns in the western countries of Housa.

Our pilgrim proceeding from Housa eastward, was nearly a month travelling before he reached Kassinah, which is the most considerable town of the eastern part of Housa on the banks of the Joliba: it is fifteen or twenty times the size of St. Louis on the Senegal river. From Kassinah he proceeded to the town of Bournou, which he places exactly eastward of Kassina, the Joliba river passing through the whole country of which it is the capital. The natives of Bournou are as black as those of Housa,

Query. Is not the name itself a kind of corroboration of this opinion? It signifies in Arabic, a cultivator or farmer.

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